Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Five criminals were arrested for allegedly hatching a plan to abducting some engineers working for a hydel project in Uttarakhand''s Chamoli district, police said here today.
Acting on a tip-off, the five were arrested yesterday from Joshimath area, they said, adding that four revolvers and 20 cartridges were recovered from their possession.
During interrogation, the criminals confessed that had made a plan to kidnap some engineers of Patel engineering company and Rishikesh Ganga hydel project, police claimed.

A leopard was found dead at Lansdowne forest division of Pauri Garhwal district in the Uttarakhand, forest officials said today.
The incident took place on Friday night when the leopard died after being hit by an unknown vehicle near Tilwa-Dang bridge in the area, Divisional Forest Officer Narender Singh said.
The post mortem report confirmed serious injuries on the hind leg of the one-year-old animal, he said.
The leopard is an endangered species under the wildlife protection act, Singh added

Top Maoist commanders and cadres have been entering the Pithoragarh belt for "medical treatment," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has said. "Maoist activities have increased since some time back, as their cadres entered into the state. Their commanders have been entering into the
Pithoragarh mountainous belt of the state for medical treatments," Pokhriyal said.

He said that some of these commanders have also been arrested by police and security forces.

"Although the Maoist activity seen in the state is not that alarming, the police and security setup has been alert, active and vigilant to deal with them," he said.

The state is bound by various Naxal affected areas particularly Nepal, he said, adding "therefore we have to be more vigilant in regard to the internal security of the state, which also shares borders with China."

Uttarakhand shares it border with China and Nepal and shares 350 km of the LoC and 250 km of the international border with the two countries. There is a growing threat to security due to increase in the activities of China in areas bordering the state, the chief minister said.

Pokhriyal, who was in Jammu to attend a meeting, said there was not only internal threat from Naxalism but also from the external side.

"There was an increase in the activities of China in Nepal, Tibet and also Pakistan. We apprehend that there will be increase in anti-India activities on the Indo-Nepal border via Nepal, which will pose a danger to our country in the near future," Pokhriyal said, adding there was also apprehension of increase in ISI activities in Nepal via the Pakistan route.

Although ITBP and SSB are posted for the security of the borderline, there is an urgent need for a high degree of vigilance along India's borders, he said.

He said he raised two major points on the security front with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the recent internal security meeting convened by the Union Home Ministry.

"One point I raised with the Prime Minister was that the national identity cards plan in the country should be started from Uttaranchal as a safeguard on the security front from Naxalism and also via the Indo-Nepal border.

"Another point I raised with him was there was no major ban on movement of people and goods from Nepal. Over 25,000 to 30,000 people travel daily via three routes into the country from Nepal," Pokhriyal said.

The chief minister said China has also created massive road networks close to the Sino-Indian border up to the top of the Himalayas in Tibet.

"I told the PM there was need for construction of border roads by us (India) on this side also," he said.